Japanese Restaurant Yen London by Sybarite

At a time when visiting a restaurant seems like a distant memory and the sound of the Ocado van pulling up outside is about as close to a culinary rush of euphoria that we can expect, what better than to reminisce over the settings of an opulent fine dining experience. The interior photography I completed of Yen London - a high-end Japanese restaurant - for interior architects Sybarite can be your catalyst into this journey of fine dining nostalgia.

Originally completed in 2017, interior designers Sybarite commissioned me to photograph the space in late 2019 before a possible change of hands for the business. Located at 190 Strand near the Thames river, the restaurant is situated above a luxury residential development designed by GRID architects. The restaurant is the second venture after the success of the original, 17 year old Yen Soba restaurant in Paris, owned by Japanese fashion company Onward Holdings.

Arriving at the restaurant, guests enter the bar and waiting area on the restaurant's mezzanine level. This space contains booths for guests to drink and socialise before descending to the main L-shaped dining area below. Once seated, guests can see as their fine Japanese cuisine is prepared before their eyes at the exposed kitchens. The interior design itself incorporates traditional elements of Japanese architecture in a contemporary setting. Surrounding the walls of the lower floor are traditional Japanese paper screens which Sybarite made using handmade Japanese paper and back-lit LED lighting.

The building’s high ceilings allowed the designers at Sybarite to make full use of the additional space by installing suspended timber frames and large clusters of bamboo, which in their words, evoke the feeling of a tranquil bamboo forest. The timbers that make up the distinctive staircase are repeated throughout the space, notably the ceiling, which is traversed by a assortment of intersecting vertical and horizontal panels. This is all accented by lighting which enhances the interplay of light and shadow between the recessed timber panels.

With photography of the restaurant taking place between dining hours there was a rush to get all of the camera equipment setup and each area photographed before customers appeared for their lunch. Yet, as every interior photographer will surely appreciate, setting up the camera equipment is often the easy part of the job. Every stray object, misaligned chopstick or asymmetrical chair arrangement needs repeated nudges and obsessive readjustments so as to fall into harmony before lens; satisfying the architectural photographers disposition for a rigorously ordered microcosm.

Another aspect of the design incorporates a private dining room with tatami flooring made from Bolon's woven vinyl and black runner trims, with more traditional paper screens adorning the walls and ceiling. It was in this calming space that those of us involved in the shoot were treated to a delicious bowl of Miso soup to end a long day. If the opportunity ever presents itself, the restaurant is well worth a visit, both to experience the food and the great design work carried out by Sybarite.

Interior Design: Sybarite
Client: Onward Holdings
Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

Royal Mint Court Redevelopment by Sheppard Robson

Royal Mint Court London Showroom by Sheppard Robson 2017. Photography Copyright © Alex Upton

The Royal Mint Court building and its generous, fortified grounds occupy a rather large 5.23 acre site in central London. The historic building which served as the Royal Mint between 1809 and 1967 is surrounded by prestigious landmarks such as The Tower of London and Tower Bridge. In late 2017 I was commissioned by London-based architectural practice Sheppard Robson to photograph the onsite showroom they had designed in collaboration with their interiors department ID:SR Interiors. 

Showroom model of the proposed redevelopment of Royal Mint Court.

The architectural photography of Royal Mint Court which I undertook for the client captures the showroom displays; including 3D models of the proposed development, detailed information on the proposals along with interactive displays and writing on the sites historic context. There is also a pool room equipped with a bar and jukebox upon entering the building. The new development proposed by British property developers Delancey would be an office led scheme with the inclusion of new public spaces. While incorporating historic elements of the site it would also include the addition of several distinctively modern buildings.

Visualisations of the proposed Royal Mint Court development.

Before further exciting any readers over the details of the proposed development it should be noted that the scheme will now almost certainly be revised as the People’s Republic of China recently acquired the site from Delancey and the LRC Group with the intention of converting it into their new Embassy. The buildings fortified grounds, heritage and central location all no doubt being driving factors in their decision to relocate there.

Conference area for potential clients and visitors.

While it's disappointing to discover Sheppard Robson Architects' Royal Mint Court scheme will never likely see the light of day - especially after photographing its wonderful interior, which hints at what could have been - it is highly likely another grand scheme will follow in its wake as the rush to build landmark Embassies in the capital intensifies.

Benenden Hospital Redevelopment

Benenden Hospital Reception Area 2017. Photography: Copyright © Alex Upton

Location: Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent, UK
Contractor: Willmott Dixon
Photography Client: Structura / Kalwall
Architects: CA Vaughan Blundell QS, Moreton Hayward M&E and Richard Stephens Partnership

Located in the south east county of Kent, Benenden Hospital, an Independent flagship facility for Benenden Hospital Trust, recently underwent a major £45 million redevelopment. The new facilities include operating theatres, single en-suite rooms, an ophthalmic suite,  a new outpatient department, procedure rooms and recovery areas.

Benenden Hospital Waiting Room

I was commissioned in late 2017 to photograph the interior of the facility, which features a large new atrium roof glazed in the client Kalwall's unique panels - the same material featured in my photography of the RIBA award winning West Croydon Bus Station. The translucent Kalwall panels allow daylight to permeate the waiting rooms creating a bright, welcoming environment for the patients. These two projects show the potential diversity of the products application and how its specific placement and incorporation into the architecture can contribute both aesthetically and functionally in a variety of ways.

Benenden Hospital Waiting Room

The Interior design services were carried out by the West Midland's based practice Design Buro. Through the layout of the furniture and the application of colour to various features the interior spaces have been simplified aiding the users experience and making it easy to navigate the building. The materials themselves while not all natural reference nature through texture and colour masking the often utilitarian design of hospitals.

Benenden Hospital Reception Area

The parts of the scheme I had access to photograph work really well, they are both spacious and open whilst also accommodating for privacy, with the furniture creating partially secluded zones. The use of two tones of flooring, which are employed to delineate the various pathways through the hospital, help guide the patients to their destination - breaking with the notoriously labyrinth like layouts of older hospitals.

Benenden Hospital Atrium Roof

If you are interested in seeing more architectural photographs of Benenden Hospital's redevelopment and the interior design work carried out there by Design Beru please visit my portfolio in the navigation bar above.